Preexisting infrastructure of electrical transmission and/or distribution systems, such as utility poles, electrical cables, and the like, is sometimes employed for carrying fiber optic communication cables, thereby reducing or eliminating the need to acquire separate utility easements or build separate cable-carrying infrastructure. This technology, sometimes termed “aerial outside plant (aerial OSP)” technology, often involves attaching the fiber optic cable to the utility poles (e.g., using either a self-supporting cable or lashing the fiber optic cable to a separate messenger cable) in an unused communication space along the poles between the electrical power lines and ground level (e.g., as determined by various regulations). In other examples, the fiber optic cable may be attached to a preexisting fiber optic cable or electrical powerline cable, such as by way of helically wrapping the fiber optic cable about the preexisting cable.
In examples in which a fiber optic cable is to be helically wrapped about a preexisting electrical powerline cable, a large robotic device may be employed to wrap the fiber optic cable on a large electrical transmission line as the robot travels along that line from one transmission tower to another. While the larger transmission lines span greater distances between towers than smaller electrical distribution lines, distribution lines are typically more plentiful, thus potentially providing much greater overall areal coverage. However, the smaller distribution lines typically possess a lower weight bearing capacity, provide less clearance between powerline conductors, and present a greater number of obstacles (e.g., insulators, power taps, and the like) than their transmission line counterparts, thus presenting significant barriers to the use of traditional robotic technologies for fiber optic cable installation.